The PIF-PGA Tour merger news came to light on June 6, 2023. It was a day that shook the entire golf world, and rightfully so! When LIV Golf first came into the picture, the likes of Rory McIlroy were unequivocally against it. The Northern Irishman felt like a “sacrificial lamb” when the amalgamation news emerged. But a few months down the line, that isn’t the case anymore. And he’s not the only one who’s had a change of heart. Keegan Bradley joined him, too!

McIlroy revealed he felt he’d been “too judgmental” about LIV Golf. His changed stance was about aligning the “interests of the players, the business, the fans, and the media,” and wanting to play with all the best players out there. But even though he’s opened up to the idea of Greg Norman’s league, the merger negotiations seem stuck at a standstill. So, understandably, when Bradley was asked about his thoughts on the $3 billion merger, he was a little confused.

During the press conference at the Travelers Championship, the 37-year-old said, “I hear a different new rumor every day.” However, he couldn’t help but express his enthusiasm for the amalgamation, saying how “fun” it would be for a LIV Golf player to play at a PGA Tour event. Bradley added, “I think the feeling amongst the players is that inevitably, we’re going to come together. I have no clue when that is.” 

When the merger was announced, the deadline was set as December 31, 2023. That date didn’t quite work out, and the news spread that the merger would be finalized before the 2024 Masters. Well, that didn’t happen either! Although meetings and negotiations are ongoing, when they will be finalized remains uncertain. Whenever it is finalized, though, we can rest assured that Keegan Bradley will be one of the happiest players. “I think it would be really fun to have a tournament like the Travelers where you’re coming down the stretch against a PGA Tour versus a LIV guy.” He then echoed McIlroy’s sentiment.

“I think that would be fun… for the media… for the public… to watch. I don’t see where having those guys play on the Tour is bad for golf or the PGA Tour,” Bradley added, further indicating how the game will only develop after the merger. Well, it seems like the pro is sure about the merger boosting the sport as a whole. Especially with the low viewership numbers of the PGA Tour recently.

Many tournaments on the American Tour have seen a substantial dip in the number of people tuning in. The Arnold Palmer Invitational saw only 2.29 million viewers, 30% lower than its 2023 edition. Even the Masters’ final round had a 20% dip in viewership on CBS from last year. This highlighted something McIlroy pointed out before the first major, suggesting that the merger would be the way to solve this.

“If the numbers [at the Masters] aren’t as good [as they usually are], it’s an argument to still say we need to put everyone back together because people are losing interest in the game if they don’t even want to tune in to the four major championships,” said McIlroy. Considering so many golfers who switched over to the Saudi-backed league had such striking personalities that fans enjoyed watching, maybe bringing them back is the answer to this viewership headache that the PGA Tour is nursing.

However, Keegan Bradley seemed confident that golfers from the breakaway league wouldn’t make a full-time jump back to the Tour. He opined, “I think that a lot of the guys left were big characters, good and bad, and great players. Eventually, you’d see them come back, but the LIV guys are going to have to play on LIV. It would just be an event here or there [on the Tour].”

One can’t help but agree with the 6-time PGA Tour winner. The reason is that the Jay Monahan-led circuit is experiencing nothing short of setback after setback when it comes to the TV ratings, which Rory McIlroy couldn’t help but point out as well.

The glaring truth about the PGA Tour’s viewership situation in 2024

The low broadcast numbers of the Tour have been a matter of concern lately. Even McIlroy suggested that unifying the game and making a global tour would help the numbers immensely. “If you look at the TV ratings of the PGA Tour this year, they’re down 20% across the board. That’s a fifth. That’s big,” McIlroy pointed out.

The Northern Irishman bluntly mentioned  how the tussle between the two leagues has only led to the situation worsening: “I just think with the fighting and everything that’s went on over the past couple of years, people are just getting really fatigued of it and it’s turning people off men’s professional golf, and that’s not a good thing for anyone.”

Looking at the numbers, the final round of the Valspar Championship had 27% less viewership than 2023. The 2024 Mexico Open also suffered a similar fate. Nevertheless, despite the setbacks, the average fan can only wait and trust the process, just like how Keegan Bradley expressed the same about Jay Monahan and the PGA Tour, assuring, “I have so much trust in Jay Monahan and the PGA Tour.”